At 12:53 AM 6/1/2010, Justin Richards wrote: >And even if you do wear it out, it's just a matter of replacing a single chip. > >I have considered this and have looked at this 100pin smd chip and the way >it is mounted on the board to see how it can be removed without doing any >damage. It appears outside my current skill level. So when/if it stops >programing I will need to do some research on how it is done. ChipQuik makes a GREAT product for removing SMT devices: its a solder alloy that you glob on top of the existing solder. It mixes with the existing solder and the resulting alloy has a VERY low melt point. I find that once I've heated the stuff up, it remains molten for about a minute. That gives you plenty of time to lift the dead chip off the board without damaging any traces. They offer a free sample - a stick of the alloy and some flux. You can order it from The free sample I received several years ago had enough material to remove several 28-pin SOIC packages. I've since ordered their 16'/flux combo package a couple of times and am thrilled with how easy it is to use. Our shop uses Metcal stations pretty much exclusively (still have 3 or 4 Weller desoldering stations) and I have a large assortment of Metcal SOIC tips. Those special tips don't get used much these days - its just easier to use the ChipQuik alloy. Just remember that you MUST vacuum the alloy off the traces before you resolder the new chip in place. dwayne -- Dwayne Reid Trinity Electronics Systems Ltd Edmonton, AB, CANADA (780) 489-3199 voice (780) 487-6397 fax www.trinity-electronics.com Custom Electronics Design and Manufacturing -- http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist